The Head of the Public Service, Cherie Whitter, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Mandellas Lightbourne as the Director of Libraries and Archives. 

In this capacity, Mr. Lightbourne will work under the policy direction of the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of the Cabinet Office and Digital Innovation, providing strategic leadership and guidance for the Department of Libraries and Archives.

Mandellas Lightbourne is a dedicated public servant with over 25 years of experience in the Government of Bermuda. He began his career as an educator at the middle and senior school levels before transitioning into information management in 2008 through the Government’s Professional and Technical Trainee Scheme, where he served as a Trainee Appraisal Archivist. He was subsequently appointed Appraisal Archivist in 2012.

In 2018, following the merger of the Bermuda National Library and Bermuda Archives, Mr. Lightbourne was appointed Archivist of the Bermuda Archives. He later transferred to the role of Archivist Records Manager in 2023 and has recently served as Acting Director for the Department of Libraries and Archives.

Mr. Lightbourne holds a Bachelor of Science with honours in English Literature and History Education from Alabama A&M University, and a Masters with distinction in Archives and Records Management from University College London (UCL). He is also a member of the 2023 cohort of the Government of Bermuda’s Leadership Development Programme.

His professional expertise includes archival appraisal and records preservation. He maintains a strong interest in 19th and 20th-century history and art, particularly in how primary historical records and literary material impact and shape contemporary society; as well as how art is interpreted and appreciated in public spaces.